I had major dreams when I was a kid. I wanted to do everything, see everything, and be everything. I blame Barbie. I loved Barbie when I was growing up. I probably had 100 Barbies and I played with them constantly.
I've read so many articles and blog posts about people who refuse to buy Barbie dolls for their kids because they supposedly promote an unhealthy obsession with body image.
What? It's a DOLL. I didn't look at Barbie and want to look like her, I looked at Barbie and said "Wow! I can be an astronaut, a teacher, a veterinarian, and the president ALL AT THE SAME TIME." I didn't actually want to be any of those things, but I knew that I could be!
Today, just for fun, I'm sharing my list of things I wanted to be when I grew up.
1. A Cookie Baker - Not a pastry chef. Not a baker. A cookie baker. I wanted to grow up and spend every day of my life baking cookies. I think I still want to do that.
2. A Veterinarian - This didn't last long. I wanted to be a vet until I told my dad that I wanted to be one and he made me watch "Old Yeller" and "All Dogs Go to Heaven" back to back. I basically cried for a week and vowed to never, ever be a mean, horrible vet who puts animals to sleep.
3. A Marine Biologist - We took a trip to Sea World San Antonio when I was in kindergarten and I was obsessed with the fact that people actually had real jobs where all they did was swim around all day and play with dolphins. I told my mom I wanted to be one when I grew up and she taught me that they are marine biologists. When it came time for my Kindergarten graduation, the teacher asked us at graduation practice what we wanted to be and for the life of me, I couldn't remember what it was called! I explained it to the teacher and she had no idea what I was talking about. I told her I needed to go home and ask my mom and asked if I could tell her tomorrow and she said, "Don't you want to be a teacher like the rest of the girls in the class?" Cue my first ever feminist rant. The next day at graduation, the teacher called my name and said, "And when Christy grows up, she wants to be a teacher!" and my mom said "What?! Since when" and then I told my mom how dumb my teacher was and that I never wanted to be a teacher.
4. A "Filmologist" or A Movie Producer - Oh man, this one lasted for awhile. I was obsessed with movies and wanted to be Steven Spielberg or James Cameron. I wanted to go to UCLA or NYU and study "filmology" so that I could be a big bad movie producer. I even started writing a screenplay starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson (which is super ironic now that Leo is starting to look like Jack) about Leo being falsely accused of a murder he didn't commit in a fancy restaurant. It was going to be huge.
5. A Broadway Producer - My mom put me in theater school when she realized that I was actually serious about wanting to be a producer. I performed in community and regional theater productions all the way through college. I actually started college as a theater major, focusing on production. Freshman year, I was cast in my school's production of "The Vagina Monologues" and became fascinated with global women's issues. The following year, I was selected to produce the campus production, raising more than $10,000 in the process for a local DV shelter. I also changed my major to International Affairs, focusing on global women's issues.
The only one I still harbor fantasies of is being a cookie baker because let's be real, that would be awesome! What am I actually doing with my adult life? Writing. I love it. I always harbored fantasies of writing a book (still do), but I never thought I could build a career out of being a writer who doesn't write books. I write grants, and I love the process and challenge of it. I love that I can work with different non-profits on a variety of issues, including those I'm most passionate about. This isn't the career path I ever thought I would take but now that I'm in it, I wouldn't change a thing.
I've read so many articles and blog posts about people who refuse to buy Barbie dolls for their kids because they supposedly promote an unhealthy obsession with body image.
What? It's a DOLL. I didn't look at Barbie and want to look like her, I looked at Barbie and said "Wow! I can be an astronaut, a teacher, a veterinarian, and the president ALL AT THE SAME TIME." I didn't actually want to be any of those things, but I knew that I could be!
Today, just for fun, I'm sharing my list of things I wanted to be when I grew up.
1. A Cookie Baker - Not a pastry chef. Not a baker. A cookie baker. I wanted to grow up and spend every day of my life baking cookies. I think I still want to do that.
2. A Veterinarian - This didn't last long. I wanted to be a vet until I told my dad that I wanted to be one and he made me watch "Old Yeller" and "All Dogs Go to Heaven" back to back. I basically cried for a week and vowed to never, ever be a mean, horrible vet who puts animals to sleep.
3. A Marine Biologist - We took a trip to Sea World San Antonio when I was in kindergarten and I was obsessed with the fact that people actually had real jobs where all they did was swim around all day and play with dolphins. I told my mom I wanted to be one when I grew up and she taught me that they are marine biologists. When it came time for my Kindergarten graduation, the teacher asked us at graduation practice what we wanted to be and for the life of me, I couldn't remember what it was called! I explained it to the teacher and she had no idea what I was talking about. I told her I needed to go home and ask my mom and asked if I could tell her tomorrow and she said, "Don't you want to be a teacher like the rest of the girls in the class?" Cue my first ever feminist rant. The next day at graduation, the teacher called my name and said, "And when Christy grows up, she wants to be a teacher!" and my mom said "What?! Since when" and then I told my mom how dumb my teacher was and that I never wanted to be a teacher.
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| Kindergarten Graduation |
5. A Broadway Producer - My mom put me in theater school when she realized that I was actually serious about wanting to be a producer. I performed in community and regional theater productions all the way through college. I actually started college as a theater major, focusing on production. Freshman year, I was cast in my school's production of "The Vagina Monologues" and became fascinated with global women's issues. The following year, I was selected to produce the campus production, raising more than $10,000 in the process for a local DV shelter. I also changed my major to International Affairs, focusing on global women's issues.
The only one I still harbor fantasies of is being a cookie baker because let's be real, that would be awesome! What am I actually doing with my adult life? Writing. I love it. I always harbored fantasies of writing a book (still do), but I never thought I could build a career out of being a writer who doesn't write books. I write grants, and I love the process and challenge of it. I love that I can work with different non-profits on a variety of issues, including those I'm most passionate about. This isn't the career path I ever thought I would take but now that I'm in it, I wouldn't change a thing.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Is it remotely close to what you're doing now?
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